FAO
In 2024, FAO, with support from partners, helped flood-affected communities in Logone Birni by building dykes, creating risk management plans, and providing monetary aid.
Khadiga Khanom from Gazipur, Bangladesh, never considered jackfruit significant until she attended workshops on processing various jackfruit products. Inspired by the training provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she started her own business, creating a range of goods such as pickles, jam, burgers, cakes, pizzas, and even plant-based leather. Now processing about 100 kilograms of jackfruit daily with five employees, she earns approximately $400 a month, which helps support her family and allows her to save for business expansion. Jackfruit, Bangladesh's national fruit and a symbol of abundance, has become a pivotal part of her life through the FAO's One Country One Priority Product initiative.
In Berd, a town in Armenia's Tavush region, a group of women is showcasing the power of sisterhood through the cultivation of beans, a staple symbolizing resilience in rural life. Beans represent nourishment and are part of a shared heritage of patience and hard work. Anahit Paytyan, Alina Paytyan, and Varduhi Melikbekyan each contribute their strengths to the "Berd Bean" Women’s Association. This group was formed under the “Local Empowerment of Actors for Development” (LEAD) programme, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and funded by the European Union.
In the Rusayo camp near Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 32,500 Internally Displaced Persons live in temporary shelters due to ongoing conflict. Just 18 kilometers from the frontline, they endure the sounds of gunfire and explosions, seeking safety for their families. The camp is overcrowded, stretching resources thin and increasing security risks from armed groups. Food insecurity is a pressing issue, prompting support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which assists 25,000 vulnerable households in North Kivu and Ituri. FAO provides cash vouchers and resources for micro-gardening and livestock production. These micro-gardening kits enable families to grow vegetables while integrating animal breeding to enhance soil fertility. With access to quality seeds and animals, residents can improve their diets and generate income through selling their produce and animal products.
As FAO marks its 80th anniversary, a sustainable world is one where everyone counts, and each of us, including youth, can take action to create a better future for all.
During the end of year holidays, when fortunate, we spend more time with family and friends, cooking, exchanging gifts or travelling to meet loved ones. All of these actions can be done in a more sustainable way, respectful of ourselves, others, our cities and our planet. Sustainability, in fact, goes beyond the environment; it includes other things that people need, such as food, health, education, safety, jobs, equal opportunities, and a vibrant quality of life. Shaping a better future is the spirit of the holidays and the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This end of 2024 holiday season, let’s pave the way for a better year, leaving no one behind! Here are some things you can do.
In Senegal's Bousra Ndawène village, pastoralists from Senegal, Gambia, Mali, and Mauritania travel annually along a 110-km transhumance corridor, seeking fresh pastures for their livestock. Babacar Ndaw, a local farmer and breeder, helps manage resources, balancing the needs of both pastoralists and locals. The Regional Sahel Pastoralism Support Project (PRAPS) has improved infrastructure, animal health services, and water access, reducing conflicts and supporting over 350,000 pastoralists in Senegal. PRAPS aims to assist more than a million pastoralists by 2027, preserving pastoralism while ensuring sustainable resource use.
In Magdalena Milpas Altas, Guatemala, Marla Chanta, a 45-year-old artisan, creates opportunities for her family and community. Initially expected to focus on household duties, she embraced traditional craftsmanship, joining Wakami—a social enterprise empowering rural women through sustainable business and education. Founded by Maria Pacheco 20 years ago, Wakami helps women like Marla generate income through handcrafted goods, aiming to improve their lives and protect the environment. In 2023, the Mountain Partnership of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) partnered with Wakami connecting women artisans' cultural heritage with contemporary design. In 2024, Italian designer Vivia Ferragamo collaborated with Wakami to create a collection reflecting local traditions and culture.
Fashion for Fragile Ecosystems combines traditional craftsmanship with ethical fashion to promote cultural heritage and protect mountain environments.
FAO’s Action Against Desertification helps farmers restore land and grow crops to combat desertification and poverty.
Ahmad Al Nasser credits his success to self-belief and helping others overcome challenges. As a facilitator of a Farmer Field School in rural Hama, Syria, he has lived with a physical disability due to polio since childhood. With over 25 years of experience, he completed his education at the Veterinary Technical Institute and became a certified technician in bovine artificial insemination. Now, he works with 25 cattle keepers, sharing knowledge to improve livestock production. Under Ahmad’s guidance, local farmers achieved significant results, processing their own dairy products and increasing profits by bypassing middlemen. They also started producing organic compost and fodder for their cows.
Mountains cover about 27% of the Earth's land surface, they are home to around half of the world's biodiversity hotspots and provide fresh water for half of humanity. But they are increasingly threatened by climate change and overexploitation. This International Mountain Day (11 December), under the theme "Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaptation and youth", the observance focuses on engaging youth to develop innovative and adaptive strategies to ensure the resilience and sustainability of mountain ecosystems.
Esther Munani Kyalo, a mother of three from Miambani ward in Kitui County, Kenya, has changed her routine over the past few months. Every Tuesday, she joins around 35 other women at the Kavakaky Farmer Field School to breed chicks in a new poultry house. Under a large mango tree, the community gathers to discuss and improve their husbandry practices. In Kenya's arid and semi-arid regions, livestock production, including beekeeping and chicken brooding, is vital for family income. Transitioning to commercial farming can improve incomes and reduce rural poverty, and Farmer Field Schools are key to this change. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) supported Kenya’s National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth (NARIG) project, reaching nearly 300,000 farmers in eight years.